Susan Powell: Odd discovery in West Utah Desert

[HollyHawk]

Not sure if this is posting in the right order as when I press "Last" for the last page it moves completely out of this thread.

Anyway, Tooele County Sheriff's detectives checked the concrete Tuesday, tipping it upside down to find that it is all concrete. No body inside. So, good news. Just a strip of concrete apparently left by a cement truck driver who didn't want to pay for disposal of the end of his load.

The Tooele County Sheriff's Dept did a great job taking care of this in a thorough manner, let us know when they had to postpone looking at it due to other details, and advised of the disposition. They were really nice to deal with. . . unlike the West Valley Police Dept who did not even respond. It makes you wonder how many other tips they have simply deleted.

 

[dovebar]

I'll add they both had lived in WVC at one time, both disappeared within a week of each other, the one no longer living in WVC was back in the immediate area of SLC a few days after Susan's disappearance and tho he had talked to a person in Ruby Valley for a brief visit and luncheon, he did not tell anyone about the trip...even tho he spoke to relatives during that time and did not visit relatives or other friends in that time. No one knows 'why' he made that trip. Spending lots of money on gas...and lots of time....for someone sooooo broke they could not pay their rent for 3 mos. And no one has come forward to explain his income or other expenses in that time. Not much info coming forward. I watch and listen to all the input, but pay full attention to what LE has output.

Another possibility is that Steven saw something he wasn't supposed to see when his path crossed with Josh's accidentally out in the Nevada desert.

Just before he disappeared, he helped two young women who were locked out of their home and he gave out his name and phone number. Is there a possibility that he crossed paths with Josh at a rest stop or by the side of the road and gave out his name? Could someone then have lured him to Vegas and disappeared him?

Do we know, for instance, where Josh's father was that entire week after Susan went missing? A lot of planning seems to have gone into Susan's disappearance. We don't know that there wasn't help. There might have been helping mopping things up.

I also agree that it is probably coincidental that both these people went missing in one week. It may also be coincidental that Josh and Steven were possibly in the same area of Nevada on the same day.

 

[Bartleby]

Another possibility is that Steven saw something he wasn't supposed to see when his path crossed with Josh's accidentally out in the Nevada desert.

Just before he disappeared, he helped two young women who were locked out of their home and he gave out his name and phone number. Is there a possibility that he crossed paths with Josh at a rest stop or by the side of the road and gave out his name? Could someone then have lured him to Vegas and disappeared him?

Do we know, for instance, where Josh's father was that entire week after Susan went missing? A lot of planning seems to have gone into Susan's disappearance. We don't know that there wasn't help. There might have been helping mopping things up.

I also agree that it is probably coincidental that both these people went missing in one week. It may also be coincidental that Josh and Steven were possibly in the same area of Nevada on the same day.

Interesting you should say that. I'm still convinced that no planning went into it at all, Josh killed Susan in a fit of temper during a late night argument, and then panicked and invented the midnight camping trip to give an excuse to drive out into the wilderness in the dark and dispose of the body.

The argument might have been over Josh's desire to take Susan's boys out into a snowstorm when they were snugly tucked up in bed, and he should have been going to bed prior to starting a new week's work. Josh seems to have no ability to face his responsibilities if they interfere with "being Josh".

The greatest pointer to the total lack of planning is his BS story, and the fact he was totally caught with his pants down when he got back from his jaunt to find LE all over Susan's house.


Second bolded point, what report or information have you seen that puts Josh in Nevada when Steven disappeared (apparently by parking his car and walking away, recorded on video)?

Josh was under intense police, public and press scrutiny at this time, so I can't envisage him slipping away unnoticed to drive several hundred miles a second time (first time in the rental car a few days earlier) to meet with Steven and possibly kill him and dispose of his body.

 

[grayjay]

The greatest pointer to the total lack of planning is his BS story, and the fact he was totally caught with his pants down when he got back from his jaunt to find LE all over Susan's house.

I think he rehearsed it in his mind even if he didn't plan it.

After the story about the Christmas party the year before turning up in the news, I'm even more convinced something about that turned into a big flare-up. Somebody was sleeping on the couch but that wasn't OK.

 

[slowbutsteady]

"March 23, 2010 - Just as a group of volunteers are coordinating the first large volunteer-driven ground search effort for Susan Cox Powell, the 28-year old mom who's been missing for over three months, we learn that Josh Powell was talking about how one could dispose of a body in a mine shaft just a year before she went missing"

http://www.examiner.com/x-34328-Sea...earn-Josh-discusses-how-to-dispose-of-a-body?

I wonder if there are any mine shafts in the Utah desert??

 

[sdshelt]

Thanks for that post - very interesting.

That Josh really skeeves me out. I hope Susan gets found for her friends and family, but I also want that creep locked away and getting what he deserves.

 

[Bartleby]

Not sure if this is posting in the right order as when I press "Last" for the last page it moves completely out of this thread.

Anyway, Tooele County Sheriff's detectives checked the concrete Tuesday, tipping it upside down to find that it is all concrete. No body inside. So, good news. Just a strip of concrete apparently left by a cement truck driver who didn't want to pay for disposal of the end of his load.

The Tooele County Sheriff's Dept did a great job taking care of this in a thorough manner, let us know when they had to postpone looking at it due to other details, and advised of the disposition. They were really nice to deal with. . . unlike the West Valley Police Dept who did not even respond. It makes you wonder how many other tips they have simply deleted.

I'm disappointed this lead didn't work out, but I'm really glad Tooele County are following up all leads, unlike WVC. The lump was too suspicious to ignore.

 

[hollyblue]

Another possibility is that Steven saw something he wasn't supposed to see when his path crossed with Josh's accidentally out in the Nevada desert.

Just before he disappeared, he helped two young women who were locked out of their home and he gave out his name and phone number. Is there a possibility that he crossed paths with Josh at a rest stop or by the side of the road and gave out his name? Could someone then have lured him to Vegas and disappeared him?

Do we know, for instance, where Josh's father was that entire week after Susan went missing? A lot of planning seems to have gone into Susan's disappearance. We don't know that there wasn't help. There might have been helping mopping things up.

I also agree that it is probably coincidental that both these people went missing in one week. It may also be coincidental that Josh and Steven were possibly in the same area of Nevada on the same day.

I would soooo like to know this info; plus the phone calls or texts between those two a week before and after. As much as he talked to is dad....I wish Susan's bird could retain and repeat what it heard! Dang.

 

[dovebar]

I would soooo like to know this info; plus the phone calls or texts between those two a week before and after. As much as he talked to is dad....I wish Susan's bird could retain and repeat what it heard! Dang.

Bartleby, I didn't say there was documentation that Josh was in Nevada when Steven disappeared.

I said that Josh himself said he was in the west Utah desert, and later had a rental car out - driving who knows where - when Steven was in the area. They could have crossed paths then.

Depending on how closely Josh was being watched, which was probably closely, he probably couldn't have been in Vegas or Mesquite when Steven was. But someone else might have been able to, with information from Josh.
samaritan to him, as he was to the young women down South.

Also, just because the killer's plan wasn't a great one, doesn't mean they didn't have one. Criminals aren't known for their great brains, just for their egos in believing they will get away with things because they've gotten away with other things in the past.

 

[Fairy1]

hello all,

i have been, what you call, lurking for a long time on this unusual case. Bear with my newness, and have patience with me. I was, as I assume everyone was, curious about the police tying in the missing Steven Koecher with Susan Powell with a remark that made the news regarding a trip thru "Tooele... that Josh made in his rental car?" I saw that brought up awhile back, but not sure if it surfaced again recently on this or a more recent thread.



I know most people believe the association far fetched, but with this new discovery of this cement pouring, i looked at the area. And something did strike me about the names of nearby towns along highway #80. I remember these names from this post:

http://sites.google.com/site/parallelcooler/hone/koecher-html

I hope the link works. It didn't have an http in front of it initially. If it doesn't, just search the words Steven Koecher and timeline and it will be the first link.

Steven Koecher took a very long trip which, as you can see if you read it, up to Salt Lake City, then going west to two towns to the west of where this pouring was found. Remember this was way upstate from where Steven Koecher lived. This trip, that has been documented by receipts and other recollections by people who knew him, happened on December 9th and 10th.

And after this trip he went back down south to "disappear" two or three days later.

Friends who spoke to him regularly, said that he didn't answer his phone or respond to messages on these days. I hope I am not missing something when I say that no one has an explanation of why he went to those locations.

Again, i thought the whole thing odd when it came up a month ago, or more now? It seemed so out of the realm. But so many things were odd about it. That it was reported that the Cox family denied calling in this inquiry regarding the possible link, but Police said they did. Also in the timeline of Steven, it said that it has varied between the 8th and 9th, but supposedly a family of a brief acquaintance of Steven, got a surprise visit from him, at their ranch... He was not expected and had no reason to visit, finding the family home but his acquaintance, (i believe timeline saying, he may have met once,) not even there? He told the family he had gone to Sacramento, but he didn't, ...at least he couldn't have, following the receipt and ping trail that took him east and back down to St George. If you look at this timeline it is scary. He travelled like nine hundred miles in 24 hours, because, on the 10th, according to the timeline, he travelled back down, to St George.

I don't know. I'm a total amateur and I apologize for it in advance, but i can see why there are those who are considering a possible link. You're all better than i am for speculating on what the link could be. It was reported that he helped two children who were locked out of their house the next day but no one that knew him saw him after this trip. A couple of people spoke to him, his mom, but he did not mention the trip. And then he was gone.

If you look at a map of Utah and Nevada, check out Salt Lake City, West Valley, Tooele, Skull Valley Road, West Wendover, and Ruby Valley. And Sacramento.... for that matter because if you go west long enough, on that Highway#80, guess where you end up? And he did mention it. Could be a random thought, or an alibi?

Again, could be and probably is totally unrelated but the dates and the location and the cement all coincide as if they are part of the same thing, or at least could be. I have been conjecturing on how he could be tied in, but i do not want to post something that would hurt anyone....theorizing a long shot. They are both still missing, but so are a lot of people. And it's very sad.

any thoughts, or am I way out here?

Did anyone ever verify that Josh Powell did go "thru" Tooele?

If either family is reading this, i mean no disrespect. I am on the East Coast and i am hoping there is resolve in this case for both families, as it must be horrendous and lonely to wait.

Very interesting. Whatever happened to this poster?

 

[hollyblue]

Very interesting. Whatever happened to this poster?

I think he went fishing somewhere else.

 

[Bartleby]

Bartleby, I didn't say there was documentation that Josh was in Nevada when Steven disappeared.

I said that Josh himself said he was in the west Utah desert, and later had a rental car out - driving who knows where - when Steven was in the area. They could have crossed paths then.

Depending on how closely Josh was being watched, which was probably closely, he probably couldn't have been in Vegas or Mesquite when Steven was. But someone else might have been able to, with information from Josh.
samaritan to him, as he was to the young women down South.

Also, just because the killer's plan wasn't a great one, doesn't mean they didn't have one. Criminals aren't known for their great brains, just for their egos in believing they will get away with things because they've gotten away with other things in the past.

Susan and Steven could have both been abducted by aliens, but it's about as likely as two men who had never met before accidentally meeting in the vastness of the Western Desert, one driving off, the other realising he was spotted hiding a body, somehow tracking his witness down without immediately chasing him in the car, and then somehow arranging for a third party to "off" the witness several days later after he'd had time to go to the police with his information.

The only way I could see this happening is if Steven was trying to blackmail Josh (for which he doesn't actually need any real evidence or meeting with Josh), and Josh somehow arranged for someone to kill him at the rendezous.

Is there any evidence that Steven might resort to blackmail? Having read his case he seems like a nice guy having a hard time paying his bills, like a lot of people these days, but it would be a vast leap of logic to paint him as a potential blackmailer.


If people really think that Steven and Susan's disappearances are linked, I'd just like to see something more convincing than that they disappeared within a week and 283 miles of each other.

 

[dovebar]

Where I live, people who are innocent witnesses to crimes are often tracked down, threatened or killed by perpetrators. This is a major deterrent to solving crimes. Which is why it might be floated as a possibility in this case.

YMMV. No one needs to meet some burden of proof to "convince" you or any other poster in order to mention a possibility on a public board. And they shouldn't have to be ridiculed by someone with their knickers in a twist. If you can't read other's thoughts without disparagement, take it elsewhere.

 

[Fairy1]

I think he went fishing somewhere else.

Fishing - yes. But I was thinking more along the lines of planting.

 

[Fairy1]

Where I live, people who are innocent witnesses to crimes are often tracked down, threatened or killed by perpetrators. This is a major deterrent to solving crimes. Which is why it might be floated as a possibility in this case.

YMMV. No one needs to meet some burden of proof to "convince" you or any other poster in order to mention a possibility on a public board. And they shouldn't have to be ridiculed by someone with their knickers in a twist. If you can't read other's thoughts without disparagement, take it elsewhere.

I don't believe Steven was a witness to anything. But you're absolutely right, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I believe the frustration when people attempt to connect Steven's and Susan's cases stems from the fact that Susan's case has received so much more national attention than Steven's. In addition, the attempt by a very few to connect the cases seems to be an effort to muddy the waters - in Josh's favor.

Next, someone will attempt to float the idea that Steven murdered Susan and then ran off to Mexico.

 

[grayjay]

Where I live, people who are innocent witnesses to crimes are often tracked down, threatened or killed by perpetrators. This is a major deterrent to solving crimes. Which is why it might be floated as a possibility in this case.

YMMV. No one needs to meet some burden of proof to "convince" you or any other poster in order to mention a possibility on a public board. And they shouldn't have to be ridiculed by someone with their knickers in a twist. If you can't read other's thoughts without disparagement, take it elsewhere.

:waitasec:

Would it make sense for those who want to discuss this, to have a separate thread for it? It does seem to have a component of distraction. I tend to think it's a red herring that muddies the waters myself, but I'm very open to a discussion where the links in these cases can be clarified.

I believe Bartleby was giving his opinion, and his remark about his own position doesn't rise to the level of knickers in a twist.

 

[Fairy1]

:waitasec:

Would it make sense for those who want to discuss this, to have a separate thread for it? It does seem to have a component of distraction. I tend to think it's a red herring that muddies the waters myself, but I'm very open to a discussion where the links in these cases can be clarified.

I believe Bartleby was giving his opinion, and his remark about his own position doesn't rise to the level of knickers in a twist.

I think that's a great idea. I would be very interested to know everyone's thoughts on the subject.

 

[laytonian]

Another possibility is that Steven saw something he wasn't supposed to see when his path crossed with Josh's accidentally out in the Nevada desert.

Josh was in the Nevada desert? Where and when?

How would JP know who to track down, and later "send missing" (a week later) in Southern Utah? Where was JP on Dec 13th? (I thought he was home in WVC, hiding out.)

Just before he disappeared, he helped two young women who were locked out of their home and he gave out his name and phone number.

I'm sorry, that's not how it happened.

It wasn't "two young women", it was two "juveniles" (little kids). All Steven did, was call their mother. He did not give out his name and phone number.

No one knew who Steven was, until about ten days later, when LE started checking his phone records and checking to see who he'd called on his cellphone.

The details of that are in all of the early stories about his disappearance.

 

[laytonian]

Bartleby, I didn't say there was documentation that Josh was in Nevada when Steven disappeared.

I said that Josh himself said he was in the west Utah desert, and later had a rental car out - driving who knows where - when Steven was in the area. They could have crossed paths then.

But Steven wasn't in the "west Utah desert", dovebar. He drove on I-80, far north of the west desert.

Josh told LE he went to the "Pony Express area".

There's a little (OK, really really BIG) problem that would keep someone from "crossing paths" -- military bombing and chemical testing areas. They clearly show on all the maps: Utah Test and Training Range, and Dugway Proving Grounds.

 

[laytonian]

I always wondered if that was brought up to cause speculation that they may have run off together.

It's a great way to pollute a jury pool, isn't it?